


Day 9: Grimlock

by GemmaRose



Series: Lost Light Fest 2018 [9]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Family Bonding, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-08-14 05:17:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16486604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: “We’re her family too!” he gestured at Slash, who was bouncing on the front of her pedes with one hand curled tightly around the tail kibble on Grimlock’s thigh.“But you’re not dinobots.” Slash retorted before Grimlock could shut Misfire down again. “So there, nyeh~”





	Day 9: Grimlock

“What, we can’t come with?” Misfire pouted. Grimlock crossed his arms.

“No.” he said sternly.

“C’moonnn.” Misfire whined, pouting up at him even as the other Scavengers nodded and started making their own plans for shore leave. “We’re her family too!” he gestured at Slash, who was bouncing on the front of her pedes with one hand curled tightly around the tail kibble on Grimlock’s thigh.

“But you’re not dinobots.” Slash retorted before Grimlock could shut Misfire down again. “So there, nyeh~” she stuck her glossa out, and Grimlock had to actively suppress the well of affection that threatened to flood his field at the sight.

“Manners, Slash.” he chided, placing a hand on her helm. “She’s right, though.” he looked at Misfire.

“Fine, whatever.” Misfire huffed, and Krok sent Grimlock an apologetic look as he took his friend by the arm and led him over to where the other Scavengers were conversing.

“Hey, Dad?” Slash jumped up, putting all her weight on his kibble to draw his attention. “How come they’re not allowed to come with?” she gestured to the Scavengers, and Grimlock smiled behind his mask.

“Because today we’re not going where anyone else is going for shore leave.” he told her, lifting his hand to run a finger along her helm crest. Excitement sparked in her field, her optics brightening, and he crouched to be closer to her height. “You remember the tests First Aid and Swerve ran at your last check-up?”

Slash nodded, nose wrinkling under her visor. “They made my plating itch.”

“Well, that’s because your armour is almost done forming.”

Slash in-vented sharply, grasping at his kibble with both hands. “You’re gonna show me-”

“Shh.” he tapped her nose, making her optics cross behind her visor as she tracked his fingertip. “First Aid thinks you should wait another deca-cycle, but we’ll not be at a planet then.”

“Thank you!” Slash beamed, jumping up and down again, her hands still tight on his kibble but no longer pulling at him with the whole weight of her tiny frame. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you! When do we leave? Is it gonna be warm down there? Can we get snacks?”

Grimlock smiled, scooping Slash up in one hand and depositing her on his shoulder. “We’re being deposited in the planet’s subtropical belt, so yes it will be warm. And yes, I’ve brought energon goodies.”

“You’re the best!” Slash squealed, practically vibrating as her little hands gripped his plating. “Thank you!”

Grimlock kept one hand lifted to steady Slash on his shoulder as he walked over to the shuttle bringing them down for the afternoon, but when he sat down she slipped down to seat herself next to him. It was clear she was trying to mimic him, her back straight and hands folded in her lap, but she was too excited to quite manage it. Too excited and too primus damned _small_. He could only guess what sort of beast her alt mode was, that her kibble should be so similar to his but her frame only reach his hip.

The flight down was mercifully short, Slash bouncing in her seat the whole way and trying to crane her neck to look out the viewport without looking like she was too eager to catch a glimpse of their destination. It was adorable, really, even when she hopped down from her seat before they were fully landed and raced to the back of the shuttle where the loading ramp would open.

“Come on, come on!” she ran back to him as the ramp lowered, grabbing his hand and tugging.

“What’s the rush, short stuff?” Whirl chuckled, little Junior sat astride his shoulders and watching with those big yellow optics of hers.

“Bonding time.” Grimlock answered before Slash could. A few meta-cycles ago he would’ve been sure Whirl wouldn’t tell anyone if he found out about Grimlock’s plans today, but the ex-Wrecker had apparently changed significantly since taking in the micro-copter as his ward. Grimlock had doubted it at first, but since Slash’s forging, well... he understood now.

“Come _on_!” Slash pulled with all her might, and Grimlock chuckled as he let her lead him out of the shuttle.

“Do you even know which way we’re going?” he asked, scooping her up and setting her on his shoulder again.

“No, but Junior was telling my all about momentum and inertia and stuff. Getting you moving is the hard part.” Slash grinned, Grimlock poked her in the cheek and she giggled, field bright with excitement and a pure, undiluted sort of joy he’d not felt in more meta-cycles than he cared to count.

“And here I thought you said you didn’t want to be a scientist.” he teased, rounding the shuttle and heading for the forest at the edge of the spaceport.

“I _don’t_.” Slash said emphatically. “Numbers are boring. But Junior likes to tell me how her guns are supposed to work, even if they don’t.” she paused, heels of her pedes tapping against Grimlock’s breastplate as she swung her legs idly. “I think especially if they don’t, actually.”

“And she’s not having you test the guns, right?” he asked, and Slash’s field prickled against his own as she looked out over the spaceport.

“No.” she lied, and he rolled his optics.

“As long as she’s not forcing you to test her weapons, I won’t stop you.” he assured her. “You’ll never find the right weapon if you don’t try out new ones.” his hand pressed against his chassis, right over where his sword rested in his subspace. He wondered what his old team would think of him if they saw him now. What they’d think of Slash, so small and innocent.

He paused a few paces into the trees at the edge of the spaceport, and Slash stomped on the ground a few times when he lowered her from his shoulder. “It’s squishy.” she said, looking from the dirt around her pedes up at him with wide optics.

“Yes. This is an organic planet.” he placed his hand on her back and guided her further from the spaceport. “This way. Wouldn’t want anyone seeing us and telling First Aid.”

Slash shook her helm quickly and hurried to keep up. They walked for maybe a klik before he judged them far enough from the treeline and came to a stop, crouching down in front of the little femme whose first form he’d carried in his chest from Scorpinok’s ship all the way to Troja Major. “Are you ready?” he asked, and she nodded so hard her plating rattled slightly. “Alright. Watch me.” he stood up, took a step back, and initiated his transformation sequence. It wasn’t as comfortable to do from standing as it was to do while in motion, but Slash didn’t yet know the balance of her alt-mode and if she tried to mimic a more complex initiation she’d probably fall over.

“Whoa.” Slash stared up at him, and he bent down to nudge her with his nose, field reaching out to envelop hers in warmth and assurance.

“Your turn.” he told her. “Just focus on transforming, and let it happen naturally.”

Slash nodded, squaring her jaw, and Grimlock straightened up to observe as she squeezed her optics shut. Her engine revved, and with a quick shift-flip of kibble a smaller version of his own alt-mode stood before him. Or, not quite a smaller version of his own alt. Slash’s helm was a different shape, her pedes narrower and curved in a way that made him suspect she’d have a wicked set of claws there when she was fully formed.

A raptor, he realized as he recalled an exhibit on ancient Cybertronian fauna he’d visited a few times before, well, everything. She would definitely have claws capable of rending armour in a deca-cycle or two. “Weeeird.” Slash looked down at herself, turning in a circle as she tried to get a good look at her tail. Grimlock bit back a laugh, but let amusement fill his field as he bent down again to bump his snout against Slash’s helm.

“You’ll get used to it.” he promised, sending a pulse of pride out through his EM field. Slash chittered happily, then blinked in surprise at the distinctly non-glyphic sound. “You’ll get used to that, too.” he said, and nudged her with his snout again. “Now, let’s see how fast you can run.” he grinned, and she smiled back with a mouth full of razor sharp denta.

“You’re it!” she crowed, and helmbutted him in the shin before spinning on her heel and taking off. He laughed, and gave chase with a roar.


End file.
